Chelle Ramsey's Blog, page 61

A PRISTINE CHRISTMAS_DAY 9

Alicia was cleaning up after breakfast in the little kitchen that Christmas morning when someone knocked on the door.
“I’ve got it hon,” Charles called out from the living room.
“It’s a policeman at the door, Mommy,” CJ ran into the kitchenette to share.
“What does the police want, Mom?” Chelsea asked, her eyes widening.
Alicia’s stomach was tightening in knots. She couldn’t know what a policeman would want with them, especially on Christmas day.
In answer to Chelsea’s question, Charles stepped back inside the door closing it behind him. “Hey y’all, everybody get dressed, we’re leaving,” he announced.
 “With the policeman?” Why?” “Where are we going?” all of their questions came tumbling out at once.
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A PRISTINE CHRISTMAS_DAY 8

Alicia left the library with Chelsea and CJ around 6:30 that evening. The snow had begun to fall again and she knew they had little time to make it to their hotel before they would be snowed in.
“Mom, I’m hungry,” Chelsea said, leaning her head against the passenger window.
“Me, too,” CJ yawned.
“Okay, we’ll have to get something to eat close to the hotel. It won’t be too long before these streets will be covered in snow. What do you guys want to eat?”
“I want some pizza,” CJ shouted from the back, suddenly wide awake.
“I don’t care,” Chelsea retorted.
“Okay. Pizza it is,” Alicia announced. She cranked up the heat and the radio. Christmas songs were playing and she sang along with the melodies. They may not be having much of a Christmas this year, but at least they were still together and she was determined to make the most out of it.
They made it to the little residential hotel after stopping for pizza at a local pizzeria on the way in. It seemed as if the skies opened up the moment she put the car in park. Snow fell down in large drifts, blanketing the lawn, trees, and the buildings around them.
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A PRISTINE CHRISTMAS_DAY 7

Alicia stood at the sink washing out the pans she had cooked the eggs and bacon in. She was glad they had used disposable cups, plates, and forks. Eli and his friends were already here and the bedroom items had been loaded onto the truck. She kept the kids busy in the kitchen with her coloring, and reading. These were simple things they could do to keep their minds stimulated, and prevent them from becoming too bored. She knew it would only last so long and they would begin complaining that they had nothing to do. So she enjoyed it while she could.
The day rushed by in a flurry of activity as they drove back and forth to the storage unit dropping off bags and boxes that didn’t need to be transported by truck. The kids had been quiet all day and Alicia was starting to worry about them.
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A PRISTINE CHRISTMAS_DAY 6

Sitting around the dinner table their last night in their rental home, the tone was anything but somber. Charles had pressed upon the kids the importance of being thankful even in the challenging times.
“We thank You for the many blessings You have bestowed upon us throughout the year. We thank You for the food on this table and blessing us with a place to rest our heads tonight. In Jesus’ name we pray.”“Amen,” Alicia, Chelsea, and CJ replied, as they unfolded their hands and began to eat their meal.“Daddy, how can you thank God and we don’t even know where we’re gonna sleep tomorrow. We’re about to be homeless, how can you thank God for that?” Chelsea asked. The scowl she wore upon her face, like a tattoo, was beginning to etch permanent frown lines in her forehead.

“Sweetheart, we are blessed whether you realize it or not. Tonight, we have a place to lay our heads. Tomorrow, we’ll be sleeping at the residential hotel and we’ll have heat and be warm, which we don’t have now. So we aren’t exactly homeless. I need you to understand that we must be thankful in all things, even when we’re facing obstacles. You know why?” Charles asked his daughter; at the shake of her head no, he went on to explain, “Because I’ve never faced an obstacle in all of my 42 years of living that He didn’t bring me through.”Alicia nodded her head to support her husband’s assertions.Charles continued, as he watched his family eat their humble meal of meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and peas. “Baby girl, I’m just glad to still be here and have to face challenges. At least I’m still alive and breathing to try to make today better than yesterday, and I still have y’all.”They all knew he was thinking about his father’s passing, and his brother’s challenges. Charles’ brother had gone through a divorce this year and was battling his wife for custody; he didn’t have his children to spend the holiday with.“Will we go to the same school?” CJ asked.“Yes, honey. You know there aren’t that many schools here in Pristine,” Alicia answered. She turned to look at her daughter to see what her response would be. They had discussed it already, but Chelsea always acted like everything was new news to her.After putting the children to bed that night, Alicia and Charles stayed up packing the remainder of their possessions. Charles and the children had already taken care of the majority of the packing, since they were home from school on Christmas break. Alicia just wanted to make sure they had everything properly packed and labeled.In the morning Eli, Charles’ brother, would be at the house with a Haul-It-All truck, loaned to him by the owner of the local truck moving company. Eli would be bringing a couple of friends with him to help move their belongings to storage. She and the kids would have to do minimal work. Alicia was grateful for the help they were receiving.

Sitting in the bedroom putting away the last of her and Charles’ clothes in a suitcase, Alicia crumpled to the floor. She had been as strong as she knew how. She knew that her husband didn’t like complaining and whining, but she couldn’t stand anymore. Her children were losing the only stability they had had in the last year. No matter what changes they had to undergo moving to the small town, they could always feel at home, as long as they could run to the little house on Bleeker Street, and be together.Tears took a circuitous route down her face, as she reflected on the arduous task ahead of them. Not knowing what their future held, scared her more than she cared to admit. Moving to the town had cut deeply into their savings, which continued to dwindle while she searched for a job. Just when they were on the upward move again and began discussing saving money once more, Charles had lost his job. They were now living paycheck to paycheck.“Baby, I just—” Charles started. “Baby! What’s wrong...Chelsea, talk to me baby?” Charles said, bending on the floor beside his wife as she sat on the floor, her body racked with sobs.“I…I...can’t dooo this anymooore” she sobbed.“Come on, baby. We’ve come too far to give up now. Please don’t break on me now. I’ve got you. I don’t know how we gonna turn this around, but we will. We’re here for a reason.”

“Your ddaddy—” she continued sobbing.“No baby. Nothing to do with my daddy. I mean the challenges we’re going through right now, we’re here for a reason. We have to rest on His grace right now to pull us through.”“But it’s Chrissstmaasss…and we…and we…always have a nice Christmas for themmmm,” she continued sobbing.“Baby. I know that, but we’ve also always taught them the true meaning of Christmas. We’ve taught them that it’s not about toys, clothes, and gifts, but about the celebration of the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ. We’ve taught them how special this day is because it is a manifestation of love, the greatest love ever, was God’s only Begotten Son coming here on Earth. We’ve taught them how important it was to give to others, love them, and care for them. It’s about peace, and love, and joy. That’s what’s important, not the gifts. Yes, baby, I know they’ll be disappointed, but they won’t break. They have something strong in them…they’ve got their mama’s and daddy’s blood flowing through them and that’s some tough stuff to be made from.”“But, we’re usually the ones volunteering and donating to the homeless and I never thought we’d be in this situation,” Alicia sobbed.“Leesha, it’s temporary. We aren’t homeless, we just have to find something else to rent. It’ll be okay after the holidays; I’m sure we’ll find something. I think it’s just our timing right now. You gotta trust and believe, Alicia,” Charles pleaded.Alicia nodded and then rested her head against her husband’s chest. Charles held her close and rocked her back and forth. She fell asleep and after twenty minutes he stood up, cramped legs and arms rocked him, but he stood strong. He laid his sleeping wife on their bed, and covered her with the blankets.
You won't want to miss what happens next...come back tomorrow for more.


If you enjoyed this post, I encourage you to share it with others by clicking the social media icon below. Thanks for dropping in and as always please leave a comment, because I just love chatting with you. You can link up with me online using the icons above.  If you would like to see more of my works, please visit my website below. Until the next time I'm just...

WRITING MY DREAMS,By: C. Michelle Ramsey www.cmichelleramsey.com  

A PRISTINE CHRISTMAS_DAY 5

The smell of frying chicken wafted straight to her nose as she opened the door and entered the little home they had been staying in.
“Smells like someone’s cooking up something yummy,” she declared out loud as she hung her coat on the hook next to the front door. Standing in the living room glancing around she did a quick mental survey to make sure she had packed up everything in here. The only thing remaining was two couches and the TV over the fireplace. Everything else was in boxes and ready to load on the truck in the morning.
Walking back to the kitchen she saw her son and husband both floured up to their elbows. “Look at my two chefs,” she said, grinning at the two of them. No matter what challenges they faced, her family made life worth living.
“Yep, mommy we’re cooking your favorite tonight. Daddy even let me make the cornbread muffins all by myself.”
“I hope they’re no eggshells in them,” she half teased, swatting her son on the behind.
“I made sure to get all of ‘em out Mommy,” he replied, grinning at her. He was so adorable, she felt her heart lurch in her chest. Their children deserved so much more than she and Charles were capable of giving them at this moment. She suddenly experienced a flash of anger overtake her. She had known it was a bad idea to move here. She had insisted on moving Charles’ father to Reston with them and getting him good care there. But Charles and his brother had insisted their father wanted to pass away at home. While she understood and respected that, it didn’t make it easier to know they had uprooted their whole life and now had to struggle along, while everyone else went on about their lives as normal. This feeling she was experiencing was nothing new. She only needed a moment and she would be alright.
“Where’s Chels?”
“She’s in her room moping as usual,” Charles said with a loud sigh, turning a piece of chicken over to fry on the other side.
Alicia turned to leave the kitchen in search of her daughter. Knocking gently at the little wooden door with the handmade sign “Keep Out, All Little Boys” hung on its exterior, she felt another flash of sadness overcome her. She recalled a daughter who had been outgoing, loving, and kind before moving to Pristine. This moody, abrasive stranger that had taken her daughter’s place was someone she still had not gotten used to.
“Who is it?” came the little pouty voice.
“It’s mom, honey. Can I come in?”
“Sure.”
Alicia turned the doorknob and walked into the bedroom.  Her daughter was lying on her back on top of the covers staring at the ceiling. Seeing the tears streaming from her eyes made tears well up in Alicia’s own eyes.
“Come here, honey,” Alicia said, sitting down on the bed next to her daughter. Gathering Chelsea in her arms she didn’t say anything. She just held her close and rocked back and forth with her. Inhaling the warm ginger fragrance her daughter wore made her smile. She recalled when they had first purchased the cologne at the mall last year before the holidays. Those wonderful girls’ days where they had shopping excursions were now over.
The girl’s shoulders shook as she released a year’s worth of disappointments and sadness. When she finished, Alicia stood and walked over to her dresser and pulled tissue from a box to wipe her baby girl’s face with.
“Baby, life is filled with disappointments and this is just one of many along the way in life that you will encounter. When you stand strong, and take on the challenges, you will find that it will be easier than fighting them. I love you and it breaks my heart to see all that you went through this year. I know it’s been hard moving to Pristine, but we’re gonna make it baby. We just have to stand strong and support daddy on this move. You know this was so important to him,” Alicia explained, murmuring in her daughter’s soft, thick hair.
“But Granddaddy’s gone. Why are we still here?” Chelsea asked between sniffles.
“It’s not that easy to pack up and move a family from one state to another. We moved here and we knew Daddy had a job. We didn’t know if I would be able to find one or not, but God blessed us and I did. Now if we pack up and move back to Reston I have no idea what we would do. We don’t have jobs there and nowhere to go.”
“But we don’t have nowhere to go here either. Besides, can’t you and Daddy go and get your old jobs back? Your boss told us that she would miss you and you always had a place there,” Chelsea reasoned.
“Honey, sometimes adults say things but don’t really mean it. She couldn’t just hold that job for me. It’s been almost a year since we left, and I stay in contact with them from time to time. She’s hired someone for that job.”
“Can’t we stay with Nana or Uncle Dave, or Uncle Mike?” she asked in despair.
“No sweetheart, they have families of their own and Nana doesn’t have a lot of space in her condo for all of us. We’re just going to have to make it past the holidays. Everything will work out after that, I promise it will.”
“Are you sure mommy?” Chelsea asked.
“Yes, I promise honey, it will work out,” Alicia explained. It had to, come hell or high water things had to get better.

I hope you enjoyed this story. Come back tomorrow for more.

If you enjoyed this post, I encourage you to share it with others by clicking the social media icon below. Thanks for dropping in and as always please leave a comment, because I just love chatting with you. You can link up with me online using the icons above.  If you would like to see more of my works, please visit my website below. Until the next time I'm just...

WRITING MY DREAMS,By: C. Michelle Ramsey www.cmichelleramsey.com  

A PRISTINE CHRISTMAS_DAY 4

The days were winding down and Christmas Eve was tomorrow. The first snow of the season was falling as Alicia stared out of the library’s floor to ceiling windows. She wanted to get her children something for Christmas, but there was just no way that was about to happen. And Lord knows she wasn’t going to be able to afford anything for Charles this year. She liked surprising him every year with some random gift. He had already told her this year not to worry about getting him anything. He told her they didn’t need to purchase gifts for one another, but it didn’t set right with her. Lost in thought about what she could possibly buy for him that wouldn’t cost a great deal, she missed the town’s mayor, Albert Pickens, come through and go straight to the conference room in the back. Looking at her watch, Alicia realized she only had 20 minutes before it was time to go home for the day. She turned back to the computer to enter returned books and update accounts before going home.

The only good thing about today was that she didn’t have to go in to the Five and Dime Café. Amber had given her the evening off so that she could finish packing up their little house. They would have to put their things in storage, because they still hadn’t found another house to rent. They would stay in a little residential hotel on the outskirts of town until they could find something. It had been difficult sharing this with Chelsea. Alicia recalled how angry her daughter had been when she and Charles had told her they would have to move. It was not an easy conversation to have, especially when she learned they didn’t have a place to go. She suggested they move back to Reston. She didn’t understand why that was so difficult. The cost of living in Reston, Virginia was a lot more expensive than in the little town of Pristine, Georgia. And like there had been no guarantees jobs would be in place in Pristine, there were no guarantees in Reston either.
Alicia had thoughts similar to those of her daughter’s, wanting to pack up and return several times over the last year when things got tough. She didn’t want to complain, but it was so hard working two jobs and trying to take care of the entire family. She knew her husband did what he could, but it didn’t make life easier. She was extremely tired these days and often wondered what the future held for them.
“Have a good night and a Merry Christmas,” Verdell, the library assistant called to her on the way out the door.
“You too, Verdell, you too,” Alicia replied with a smile on her face, that didn’t quite reach her eyes.
The only good thing that had come out of the last few weeks was that they had gotten the car fixed and the kids had a break from school. It would give Chelsea time to calm down from all she had been going through after her fight at school. According to CJ the kids had gained a new respect for her and no one bullied her anymore.
  Will things turn around for Alicia's family? Come back tomorrow for more.


  If you enjoyed this post, I encourage you to share it with others by clicking the social media icon below. Thanks for dropping in and as always please leave a comment, because I just love chatting with you. You can link up with me online using the icons above.  If you would like to see more of my works, please visit my website below. Until the next time I'm just...

WRITING MY DREAMS,By: C. Michelle Ramsey www.cmichelleramsey.com  

A PRISTINE CHRISTMAS_DAY 3

Alicia sat in the café of the Five and Dine warming her hands on a mug of hot chocolate. Amber Dernier had purchased it for her and told her to take a break. She was the owner of the Five and Dine, a little café.
“So what are you going to do?” Amber asked, returning to the table with her own mug of hot tea.
“I don’t know. It seems as if every time we take one step forward, then we’re taking two steps back. No matter how hard he tries, Charles can’t seem to catch a break and find a job, now Chelsea’s in trouble in school again and she just got suspended two weeks ago for fighting. Now this time she’s being insubordinate with the teacher and I just don’t know what’s gotten into her.”
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A PRISTINE CHRISTMAS_DAY 5

The smell of frying chicken wafted straight to her nose as she opened the door and entered the little home they had been staying in.
“Smells like someone’s cooking up something yummy,” she declared out loud as she hung her coat on the hook next to the front door. Standing in the living room glancing around she did a quick mental survey to make sure she had packed up everything in here. The only thing remaining was two couches and the TV over the fireplace. Everything else was in boxes and ready to load on the truck in the morning.
Walking back to the kitchen she saw her son and husband both floured up to their elbows. “Look at my two chefs,” she said, grinning at the two of them. No matter what challenges they faced, her family made life worth living.
“Yep, mommy we’re cooking your favorite tonight. Daddy even let me make the cornbread muffins all by myself.”
“I hope they’re no eggshells in them,” she half teased, swatting her son on the behind.
“I made sure to get all of ‘em out Mommy,” he replied, grinning at her. He was so adorable, she felt her heart lurch in her chest. Their children deserved so much more than she and Charles were capable of giving them at this moment. She suddenly experienced a flash of anger overtake her. She had known it was a bad idea to move here. She had insisted on moving Charles’ father to Reston with them and getting him good care there. But Charles and his brother had insisted their father wanted to pass away at home. While she understood and respected that, it didn’t make it easier to know they had uprooted their whole life and now had to struggle along, while everyone else went on about their lives as normal. This feeling she was experiencing was nothing new. She only needed a moment and she would be alright.
“Where’s Chels?”
“She’s in her room moping as usual,” Charles said with a loud sigh, turning a piece of chicken over to fry on the other side.
Alicia turned to leave the kitchen in search of her daughter. Knocking gently at the little wooden door with the handmade sign “Keep Out, All Little Boys” hung on its exterior, she felt another flash of sadness overcome her. She recalled a daughter who had been outgoing, loving, and kind before moving to Pristine. This moody, abrasive stranger that had taken her daughter’s place was someone she still had not gotten used to.
“Who is it?” came the little pouty voice.
“It’s mom, honey. Can I come in?”
“Sure.”
Alicia turned the doorknob and walked into the bedroom.  Her daughter was lying on her back on top of the covers staring at the ceiling. Seeing the tears streaming from her eyes made tears well up in Alicia’s own eyes.
“Come here, honey,” Alicia said, sitting down on the bed next to her daughter. Gathering Chelsea in her arms she didn’t say anything. She just held her close and rocked back and forth with her. Inhaling the warm ginger fragrance her daughter wore made her smile. She recalled when they had first purchased the cologne at the mall last year before the holidays. Those wonderful girls’ days where they had shopping excursions were now over.
The girl’s shoulders shook as she released a year’s worth of disappointments and sadness. When she finished, Alicia stood and walked over to her dresser and pulled tissue from a box to wipe her baby girl’s face with.
“Baby, life is filled with disappointments and this is just one of many along the way in life that you will encounter. When you stand strong, and take on the challenges, you will find that it will be easier than fighting them. I love you and it breaks my heart to see all that you went through this year. I know it’s been hard moving to Pristine, but we’re gonna make it baby. We just have to stand strong and support daddy on this move. You know this was so important to him,” Alicia explained, murmuring in her daughter’s soft, thick hair.
“But Granddaddy’s gone. Why are we still here?” Chelsea asked between sniffles.
“It’s not that easy to pack up and move a family from one state to another. We moved here and we knew Daddy had a job. We didn’t know if I would be able to find one or not, but God blessed us and I did. Now if we pack up and move back to Reston I have no idea what we would do. We don’t have jobs there and nowhere to go.”
“But we don’t have nowhere to go here either. Besides, can’t you and Daddy go and get your old jobs back? Your boss told us that she would miss you and you always had a place there,” Chelsea reasoned.
“Honey, sometimes adults say things but don’t really mean it. She couldn’t just hold that job for me. It’s been almost a year since we left, and I stay in contact with them from time to time. She’s hired someone for that job.”
“Can’t we stay with Nana or Uncle Dave, or Uncle Mike?” she asked in despair.
“No sweetheart, they have families of their own and Nana doesn’t have a lot of space in her condo for all of us. We’re just going to have to make it past the holidays. Everything will work out after that, I promise it will.”
“Are you sure mommy?” Chelsea asked.
“Yes, I promise honey, it will work out,” Alicia explained. It had to, come hell or high water things had to get better.

I hope you enjoyed this story. Come back tomorrow for more.

If you enjoyed this post, I encourage you to share it with others by clicking the social media icon below. Thanks for dropping in and as always please leave a comment, because I just love chatting with you. You can link up with me online using the icons above.  If you would like to see more of my works, please visit my website below. Until the next time I'm just...
WRITING MY DREAMS,By: C. Michelle Ramsey www.cmichelleramsey.com  

A PRISTINE CHRISTMAS_DAY 2

I hope you enjoyed yesterday's portion of A Pristine Christmas. Alicia received the devastating news about losing their rental home and having to move out on Christmas Eve; the gas was off, there were no groceries, and their vehicle had broken down. With Christmas approaching, her husband Charles, was still unemployed. As the story closed on yesterday, her children were returning home from school. Read on to see what Day 2 brings and what news the children will share: 

Charles handed Alicia a paper towel so she could dry her tears. He left the kitchen to head their children off at the pass before they could see their mother upset. Alicia was thankful for her husband, he was as good as they got.
“Boy, what I tell you ‘bout running and screaming through this house like a wild animal, we ain’t running no zoo up in here,” Charles voice boomed to the little boy. The squeals following Charles statement told Alicia he must have picked their youngest up and swung him around in the air. Charles came back into the kitchen holding CJ by the feet hanging upside down, and a somber Chelsea following behind them.
“Mommy, guess what?” CJ asked when Charles put him right side up on his feet again. The little boy was taking off his coat, despite the frigid temperatures in the house.
“What’s that baby?”
“Chelsea’s got kicked out of school today.”
“Did not!” she shouted.
“Did too,” he argued back.
Their children were the perfect images of them. CJ with his father’s dark coloring and curly hair, had inherited his paternal grandmother’s dimples. He also had Charles’ warmth and charm. Their daughter, Chelsea, on the other hand showcased her mother’s caramel coloring, with a thick mane of chestnut colored hair.  Her almond-shaped dark brown eyes always seemed to be brewing a storm behind them, and even more so in these days when she had become a temperamental pre-teen.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Charles said, turning to his daughter. “What’s this about you getting kicked out of school?”
“I’m not being kicked out of school,” she replied crossly, folding her arms across her chest.
“Honey, what is your brother talking about?” Alicia asked, the scowl on her face clearly showing signs her patience was wearing thin.
Chelsea walked over to the kitchen tale, sat her bag on the floor beside a chair, and plopped heavily down as if the weight of the world was on her shoulders.
“I got into a fight,” she grumbled.
“What?!” Alicia and Charles shouted at once. They were both flabbergasted. A straight A-student, Beta club member, and student citizenship award recipient Chelsea had never been in trouble before.
“What do you—” Alicia began to ask.
“This girl Nina kept picking on her,” CJ interrupted, “she was being mean to Chelsea and she pushed her and then Chelsea pushed back and the next thing I know Chelsea was on top of Nina on the ground punching her. Chelsea won the fight, even if she is being kicked out!” he exclaimed, as if his sister were some superhero.
“I’m not kicked out, CJ! Would you quit saying that, you idiot!” Chelsea snapped and folded her arms on the table and laid her head down to drown out everything around her.
“Hey! Chelsea you know the rules about name calling in this house. I don’t care what happened at school, me or your mother won’t tolerate that,” Charles admonished his only daughter.
“I’m sorry. But he keeps saying that and it isn’t true.”
“Honey what happened?” Alicia asked, pulling out a chair next to her daughter to sit in, and began rubbing her daughter’s back to soothe her.
“She kept talking about how we were poor and wear the same clothes every week. Then she said CJ always looked dirty. She does this every day mom, and every day I ignore her. Today she followed me outside and she started in on me again. I turned around and told her to quit and she said make me, and then she pushed me and called me poor again. So I pushed her back and when she swung to hit me, that’s when I just pulled her by her arm and knocked her on the ground. She started it mom.”
“So what happened after that?” Charles asked with a softer tone than he had last used.
“Ms. Sinclair and Mr. Preston broke it up. They took us both to the office and I got suspended for a week. They gave me this note,” Chelsea said, leaning over to open her back pack. She pulled the note out and handed it to her mother. “They couldn’t call because our phone is off so they told me to bring the note home.”
“What am I going to do with you, huh? It’s cold in this house, there’s no food, no phone and I have to go to work tomorrow and your dad has business to take care of!” Alicia fussed “I mean there’s nothing here for you to eat for breakfast and lunch. You get free meals at school. What are we supposed to do Chelsea?”
“We’ll work it out, honey. Don’t worry about it,” Charles said, attempting to assuage his wife’s concerns.
“Look, Charles I have to go to work now. I need to go next door to Ms. Rose’s house and use the phone to call a cab. I’ll be right back,” Alisha said, standing to leave the cold kitchen for a warmer temperature.
Charles shook his head and placed his hand against his forehead. “Come on you two, we need to make some cornbread to go with dinner.”  I hope you enjoyed this story. Come back tomorrow for more.   If you enjoyed this post, I encourage you to share it with others by clicking the social media icon below. Thanks for dropping in and as always please leave a comment, because I just love chatting with you. You can link up with me online using the icons above.  If you would like to see more of my works, please visit my website below. Until the next time I'm just...
WRITING MY DREAMS,By: C. Michelle Ramsey www.cmichelleramsey.com   

A PRISTINE CHRISTMAS_DAY 1

Over the next several days I will be sharing a fictional story with you about a little town called Pristine, GA, and a special Christmas for one special family. I pray it brings encouragement, love, and joy...even in the difficult moments. Read on...


A PRISTINE CHRISTMAS
Alicia had done the best she could all year long, but despite her best it looked like Christmas wasn’t coming to 926 Bleeker Street this year. Charles had lost his job at the local car factory over the summer and had a hard time finding another one. Alicia’s salary of $42,000 as a librarian youth coordinator at the public library wasn’t much and she had to supplement that income with a part-time evening position at the Five and Dime Cafe. That was scarcely enough to supplement her current salary, but it kept food on the table.
She sat alone at the kitchen table two hours before her evening shift shivering in the cold. Charles had gone out to find some day tasks to help out with the bills, but if the last week were any indication he would have no luck at it. People simply weren’t hiring at the holidays in the small town of Pristine.
Alicia and Charles had moved their little family back to the town of Pristine, Georgia to take care of his dying father at the beginning of the year. It had become too much for his brother to do on his own. The thought of leaving a secure job as library director at the public library in Reston, Virginia terrified her. Especially when she wasn’t even sure she would have a job when she arrived. Charles had quit his job as an airline mechanic, but his brother had assured him he would have a position at the car manufacturer. And he had…until this summer.
“What am I going to do?” she asked herself aloud, battling back the tears that seemed ever present these days. Throwing the notice from the landlord onto the table, she got up from her seat and shuffled over to the oven. Rubbing her hands in front of it to keep warm she looked at the clock on the stove. The numbers 2:39 were blaring at her in angry red letters. Her children would be home from school soon and she had no snacks for them, except day old bread and some peanut butter and jelly. It would have to do for now.
When the kids began to have to sacrifice after Charles lost his job, Alicia had felt bad and tried to do whatever she could to compensate for it. As if he could read her thoughts she heard the front door bang close.
“Leesha!”His booming voice called from the living room.
“I’m in here, honey,” she called back.
Charles was still a good looking man at 42 years old. Standing an even six feet tall, his broad shoulders and thick muscular arms were her favorite part of her husband’s chocolate toned body. Those light brown eyes glistening like two marbles from that dark skin, didn’t have the same light to them today as they had so often in the past. Walking into the kitchen the fact that he didn’t remove his coat was an indicator that it was probably cooler in the house than it was outside.
“How was your day today, baby?” she greeted, leaning up to kiss him on the mouth. He stood behind her at the stove and wrapped his arms around her, and bent over kissing her gently on the lips.
“Oh you know same ol’ same ol. Nobody’s hiring, and the lines at the unemployment office were off the chain.”
“Did you complete your extension paperwork?” she asked, in a worried tone.
“Complete it? I never got to see nobody.”
“Oh well, you can always go back tomorrow,” she replied.
“Mmhmm…about that. Baby the car broke down on the way home, today.”
Alicia’s shoulders sagged, things couldn’t keep possibly getting worse.
“Well that explains why I didn’t hear you pull up in the garage. How did you get home?”
“I walked.”
“From where?” she asked in disbelief.
“Down by the mayor’s office,” he squeezed her tighter, looking for strength of his own.
“You walked that far?”
“I didn’t have no choice. I called Eli, he’ll be by later so we can try to fix it, after he get off,” Charles said, referring to his brother.
“How am I supposed to make it to work this evening, Charles?”
“Well that’s the good news. I got $20 so you can catch a cab,” he smiled down at her.
Alicia turned around in his arms and pulled back to see his face.
“Where did you get $20, Charles?”
 “Shhh woman…” he quieted Alicia and pulled her back into his arms. “Sometimes I need you to let me be the man and do things my way, okay?”
“Yes,” she said quietly. Mustering up the courage to share more bad news with him despite what he thought had been positive news, Alicia pulled from his arms and walked to the kitchen table.
“I was thinking this $20 could go to some food, but you gon’ need that for a cab to work. Your stew smell good, how long it’s gon’ be before we can eat?” he asked, turning around to face her. Eyeing the letter she was holding out, he took in a deep breath, and looked back at his wife. “What’s this?” he asked, taking the letter from her hand.
“They’re foreclosing on the house; the landlord is losing a few of his properties, including this one. We’ve got to leave on Christmas Eve,” she explained. Just saying the words broke the resolve that she had built up. The tears got caught in her throat.
“Damn!” Charles shouted, throwing the paper to the floor. He gathered his wife in his arms and held her close, rubbing her back up and down as he tried to console her. They were still standing in the same spot moments later, when the front door banged again for the second time in less than half an hour.
“Mama! Mama!” came CJ’s voice screaming through the house. I hope you enjoyed this story. Come back tomorrow for more.  If you enjoyed this post, I encourage you to share it with others by clicking the social media icon below. Thanks for dropping in and as always please leave a comment, because I just love chatting with you. You can link up with me online using the icons above.  If you would like to see more of my works, please visit my website below. Until the next time I'm just...
WRITING MY DREAMS,By: C. Michelle Ramsey www.cmichelleramsey.com